Koliada

Ancient pre-Christian Slavic winter festival

For the Slavic pagan god, see Koliada (deity). For other uses, see Koliada (disambiguation).

Koliada

Christmas carolers in Ukraine ("Little Russia") by K. Trutovsky

Also called| Kolyada, Коледа, Kоляда, Коледе, Kalėda, Colindă
Observed by| Eastern European, Balts and Slavic people
Significance| celebration of New Year re-birth
Begins| January 6
Ends| January 7
Date| December 25, January 7, January 6, December 24
First time| unknown
Related to| Christmas traditions, Eastern Orthodox liturgical days
Verteps parade. Lviv, Ukraine Koleduvane in Poland. 2019 Koleduvane in Russia. 2013

Koliada or koleda (Cyrillic: коляда, коледа, колада, коледе) is the traditional  Slavic name for the period from Christmas to Epiphany or, more generally, for Slavic Christmas-related rituals, some dating to  pre-Christian times.[1] It represents a festival or holiday, celebrated at the end of December to honor the sun during the Northern-hemisphere winter solstice. It also involves groups of singers who visit houses to sing  carols.[2][3]

## Terminology

[edit]

The word is still used in modern Russian (Коляда́), Ukrainian ("Коляда", Koliadá), Belarusian (Каляда, Kalada, Kaliada), Polish (Szczodre Gody kolęda [kɔˈlɛnda]), Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian (Коледа, Коледе, koleda, kolenda), Lithuanian (Kalėdos, Kalėda), Czech, Slovak, Slovene (koleda) and Romanian (Colindă).[4]

The word used in Old Church Slavonic language (Колѧда - Kolęda) sounds closest to the current Polish language pronunciation, as Polish is one of two Slavic languages which retains the nasal vowels of the Proto-Slavic language (the other is closely related Kashubian). One theory states that Koliada is the name of a cycle of winter rituals stemming from the ancient calendae[5] as for example the Kalenda Proclamation.

In modern Belarusian, Ukrainian (koliada), Czech, Slovak, Croatian (koleda, kolenda), Kashubian (kòlãda [kwɛlãda]) and Polish (kolęda [kɔˈlɛ̃da], Old Polish kolenda[6]) the meaning has shifted from Christmas itself to denoting the tradition of strolling, singing, and having fun on Christmas Eve, same in the Balkan Slavs. It specifically applies to children and teens who walk house to house greeting people, singing and sifting grain that denotes the best wishes and receiving candy and small money in return. The action is called kolyadovanye (Russian: Колядования) in Russian, kolyaduvannya (Ukrainian колядування) in Ukrainian and is now applied to similar Old East Slavic celebrations of other old significant holidays, such as Generous Eve (Russian: Маланья, Щедрый вечер, Belarusian: Шчодры вечар, Ukrainian: Щедрий вечiр) the evening before New Year's Day, as well as the celebration of the arrival of spring. Similarly in Bulgaria and North Macedonia, in the tradition of koleduvane (коледуване) or koledarenje (коледарење) around Christmas, groups of children visiting houses, singing carols and receiving a gift at parting. The kids are called 'koledari' or rarely 'kolezhdani' who sing kolyadki (songs).

Koleda is also celebrated across northern Greece by the Slavic speakers of Greek Macedonia, in areas from Florina to Thessaloniki, where it is called Koleda (Κόλιντα, Κόλιαντα) or Koleda Babo (Κόλιντα Μπάμπω) which means "Koleda Grandmother" in Slavic. It is celebrated before Christmas by gathering in the village square and lighting a bonfire, followed by local Macedonian music and dancing.

Croatian composer Jakov Gotovac wrote in 1925 the composition "Koleda", which he called a "folk rite in five parts", for male choir and small orchestra (three clarinets, two bassoons, timpani and drum). Also, Dubrovnik kolenda is one of the oldest recorded traditions of this kind in Croatia (its first mentioned in 13th century).[7] There is also a dance from Dubrovnik called "The Dubrovnik Koleda."

It is celebrated in the Büyükmandıra village of Babaeski district, Kırklareli Province in Turkey as a halloween-like festival and dates back a thousand years.[8]

## See also

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Koliada.

* Colindă, a similar Romanian/Moldovan tradition
* Korochun
* Crăciun (disambiguation)
* Twelfth Night (holiday)
* Yule
* Christmas carol
* List of Christmas carols
* Ķekatas
* Koliadka
* Koledari
* Mummering
* Turoń
* Koleda (Koledovanie) in the Serbian tradition
* Kalenda Proclamation
* Shchedryk (song)
* Calennig
* Christmas Waits
* Beltane, Gaelic festival in honour of the sun
* Festive Procession with a Song. Kolyada

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Толковый словарь Даля онлайн".
2. ^ Brlic-Mazuranic, Ivana. Croatian Tales of Long Ago. Translated by Fanny S. Copeland. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co.. 1922. p. 258.
3. ^ Tryfanenkava, Maryna A. 2001. "The Current Status of Belarusian Calendar-Ritual Tradition". In: FOLKLORICA - Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association, 6 (2): 43. https://doi.org/10.17161/folklorica.v6i2.3709.
4. ^ "Koleda". Slovar slovenskega knjižnega jezika [Standard Slovene Dictionary]. Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts. 2000.
5. ^ Encyclopedia of Ukraine
6. ^ Biblioteka warszawska. 1858 s. 318, Materyały antropologiczno-archeologiczne i etnograficzne 1826 s. 186
7. ^ Radio Dubrovnik (2021-02-09). "Dubrovačka kolenda proglašena zaštićenim nematerijalnim kulturnim dobrom" (in Croatian). Croatian Radio.
8. ^ "Kırklareli celebrates horror festival Koleda - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2023-01-09.

* v
* t
* e

Polish folk customs and traditions

Winter|

Konik • Koza • Turoń • Podłaźniczka • Gromnica • Jemioła • Ścięcie śmierci • Podkoziołek • Popielcowe klocki • Wkupne do bab • Zapusty • Ostatki • Przebierańce • Comber • Herody • Kolęda

Spring|

Marzanna • Zielone Świątki • Gregorianki • Hanging of Judas • Pucheroki • Święconka • Śmigus-dyngus • Emaus fair • Turki • Dziady śmigustne • Śmiergust • Siuda Baba • Kurek dyngusowy • Pisanki • Walatka • Easter palm • Jezusek Palmowy • Funeral of żur and a herring • Roduś • Rękawka • Żandary • Siwki • Maypole • Fat Thursday • Gorzkie żale

Summer|

Noc Kupały • Sobótka • Wyzwolenie kosiarza • Oborywanie przepiórki • Ścinanie kani • Zażynki

Autumn|

Dożynki • Dziady • Zaduszki • Katarzynki • Andrzejki

Attire • Traditional music • Folk dances • Folk beliefs

* v
* t
* e

Slavic holidays

Feast days|

* Kolyada
* Božić
* Christmas
* Malanka (St. Basil's Day)
* Epiphany
* Candlemas
* Festival of Veles
* Pre-Lent
* Maslenitsa (Cheesefare Week)
* Slavic carnival
* Feast of the Annunciation
* Palm Sunday
* Easter
* Bright Week
* Radonitsa
* George's Day in Spring
* Feast of the translation of the relics of Saint Nicholas
* Ascension of Jesus Christ
* Green week
* Trinity Saturday
* Trinity Day
* Kupala Night
* Feast of Saint Peter
* Feast of the Prophet Elijah
* Honey Feast of the Saviour
* Apple Feast of the Saviour
* Nut Feast of the Saviour
* Dożynki
* Nativity of the Virgin
* Pokrova (Feast of the Protection of the Holy Virgin)
* Saturday of Saint Demetrius
* Mitrovdan (Feast of Saint Demetrius)
* Day of Sts Cosma and Damian
* Saint Nicholas Day

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template